Hatter's Melody
by thisisforyou
Summary: He is alone, lost and depressed in an unfamiliar world. But adjusting from his usual cold self is difficult when he meets a carefree woman willing to help him...


He sat on the hill and watched the sun rise over the distant horizon. In Wonderland, sunrises were almost non-existent, especially when you rose before the sun, as he did. So he found some relief in the orange blaze, some small respite from the dangers of this strange world where everyone seemed an enemy poised to strike. But even this perfect glow of peace could not protect him for long – and it couldn't protect the Princess at all.

So Hatter Maddigan picked up his Millinery cloak and pack and put them back on. He almost reached for his hat before he remembered it wasn't there. The loss of this key part of his ensemble hit him hard. It felt as if a part of him was missing, and perhaps it was no surprise, when he had made the hat himself from simple threads to function as it did. He had done everything he could to become the best at what he did in all of Wonderland. But he wasn't in Wonderland now, and simply being the best at what he did wasn't enough anymore. He had failed to protect Alyss, had let mere water pull them worlds apart. Shaking off his reminiscent apprehension, he shrugged his pack better onto his shoulders and set off down the hill.

Hatter peered down the row of close houses before entering the street. Although not a claustrophobic man by nature, the narrow streets with their high buildings made him feel hemmed in. He would have liked nothing better than to turn and run, but duty pulled him forwards. Was it here he had first arrived? All the streets looked the same. But no, this couldn't be the right one – he couldn't see the dark, rusty sign with the bowler hat roughly imprinted on it. Before he could turn to go, however, a soft, lilting melody drew him further in. As he grew closer to the sound, a woman's voice joined the tune, bringing with it the first words in Hatter's own language he had heard since losing Alyss in the Pool of Tears.

"_The hours are spinning longer_

_Since you went away,_

_My conviction's getting stronger_

_I'll get you back someday..."_

The voice faded as Hatter reached the open door to the smallest house in the street. The room beyond was small and simply furnished, the melody floating from a wooden instrument Hatter recognized from an Inventor's Parade three years ago, that now rested on the lap of a small woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties, her fingers tripping lightly over the strings, her face turned away from him as she sang again:

"_The many times you lied to me,_

_All have been in vain,_

_'Cause I'll search all the seven seas_

_Till I get you back again..."_

Her voice ceased once more as the melody changed, still Hatter stood in her doorway, transfixed by the stroking fingers. Then one of these fingers slipped to produce a note both wrong and horribly loud, jarring her melody into shreds; Hatter flinched as the woman stopped playing to employ a word he had only heard used in Wonderland by the Lord of Clubs. Her head turned to the doorway as she set the instrument aside.

"Oh!" she said, both of them giving a little start as she saw him. "Hello!" she ducked her head crossly and corrected herself. "I mean, um... _Bonjour._"

Not understanding the word, Hatter replied, "Hello." The corners of his mouth twitched a few times as if he was about to smile, but Hatter hardly ever smiled. "You speak Wonderlandian," he observed. She gave a slightly uneasy laugh.

"No, I speak English."

"But this is Wonderlandian, now," he pursued. She smiled kindly at him, and this time Hatter was coaxed into smiling back.

"No, this is English." The smile felt strange on Hatter's stern face, but it was a good strange. "What does it matter what we call the language, as long as we understand each other, right?" Despite himself, Hatter's smile broadened. The woman's carefree, cheerful manner was infectious. "So where are you from, Wonderland?" There was a touch of irony in her sweet voice, but Hatter didn't feet she was mocking him. He indicated his assent. "Sounds... wondrous!" she laughed then, a pure, tinkling little laugh that made Hatter feel warm inside. His stiff, guarded disposition began to fall away as he took a step closer.

"It is." Still smiling softly, she studied his face and clothes, passing over his Millinery gear without question. He suddenly remembered his manners. "I'm Hatter, Hatter Maddigan." he said, realizing for the first time that his Millinery title had become like his first name. He added clumsily, "I like your song." he indicated the instrument.

Her face lit up at the compliment. "Really? I like it too. I'm Charlie." she paused, then said hesitantly, "Do you think other people will like it?"

"What does it matter, if you do?" Her face fell.

"It... doesn't work like that in Paris. I need money to live, and... I can't get it if people don't like the songs I write." she seemed almost embarrassed by this, and it was a while before either of them spoke again. "So what brings you to Paris, then?" she asked awkwardly. He dropped his gaze and wondered how to put his failure into words.

"I was... am the Queen's bodyguard. But her sister Redd ambushed us. They caught me by surprise..." He hung his head, lost in recollections of Genvieve's innocent face as Redd brought the scepter down and the mirror shattered. She was his whole world, and in a flash of imagination, she was gone. "I gabbed Princess Alyss and took her through the Crystal Continuum to the Pool of Tear, but the water in the Pool pulled her away from me." He dared to walk even closer to Charlie and sit down next to her on the badly made bed. "The last thing I saw of the Queen was Redd bringing her twisted scepter down towards her heart." Hatter was surprised at how bitter he sounded. Until today, he had prided himself on his lack of emotion. Where had that gone? "I failed. I've never done that before..." Overcome, like he had only been once before, he put his head in his hands and let the alien sensation wash over him.

He felt her shift beside him; next thing he knew her arm was around him and she was comforting him. He didn't know how to stop her, so he found himself letting her rub his shoulders and murmer soft condolences in his ear.

"I think you've done a wonderful job, Hatter. More than any Queen could expect. It's so brave that you're still looking for her in this place... it's still weird to me and I've been here for three years. We'll find a way to get you back, you and me. I promise, Hatter." And with that, she stood up and picked up a long coat from the small table. She picked his hands off his knees and pulled until he was on his feet. "Come on!" she said, and they left together.

* * *

"Look, Hatter!" she said suddenly, grabbing his cloak and spinning him around.

There it was, floating on an ordinary puddle. He looked up at the sun – it was still shining strong, a sure sign that the puddle should have been long gone. And yet it remained, and moving across the muddy surface on a tiny breath of wind, was -

"My hat!" said Hatter in surprise. He knew it was his; he would know it anywhere. He approached it hesitantly, afraid that at any moment it would disappear. When it didn't, he picked it up and shook it dry.

"Your hat? You mean the one which -" he flicked it into the stack of S-shaped blades and held it up fr her to see. "Wow!" she said enthusiastically. He flicked it again and put the top hat on his head. She tentatively came over to stand next to him. He glanced at her. All afternoon, they had searched the area without success, sharing stories. During that time, the intense liking he has felt for Charlie the first time he laid eyes on her had deepened until he felt as he had only done once before: he loved her. Unaware of his feelings, she gazed intently at the puddle. "Do you think it's..." her voice trailed off; he let it. In answer, he picked up a small stone off the road and dropped it in the water.

With a _whoosh, _it was gone.

Hatter's mind began to work fast, weighing returning to Wonderland against staying to look for Alyss. But he didn't even know she was in this world, she could have found a return portal before hi, and in staying, he could be putting her in danger. "We've got to go back." Even if she was here, he could turn and come straight back here. Excited now, he looked around for Charlie.

She had taken several steps backwards until she was right on the edge of the road. Her formerly rosy cheeks were pale and her eyes darted between him and the puddle. Hen. Slowly, she shook her head. "I can't."

Frustrated, Hatter didn't understand. "Why not?" A touch of anger colored his voice and a second later, he hated himself for it. "There's nothing for you in Paris, you said so yourself!" She looked up at him, her green eyes wide.

"And why should I think there'll be anything for me in Wonderland?" She said quietly. A single tear spilled over the edge of her eyelid and shimmered on her cheek.

_You'll have me,_ Hatter wanted to say. He wanted to go up to where she stood, take her hands in his, wipe away the shining tear and tell her he would never leave her. But for the first time in his life, courage failed him. The lonely tear glittered once more before falling by itself.

"I've built a life for myself here. It's not easy, but Wonderland -" She sighed and turned her head away from him. "- it's a whole world away."

And for the second time, Hatter Maddigan chose the lost cause of his 'duty' over the person he cared for more than any other. Bitterly, he grasped his hat firmly in both hands and stepped into the puddle.

With a _whoosh,_ he was gone.


End file.
